Mr Monk and the Seventh Grade Dance
by monkaholic
Summary: Benjy asks a girl to his first dance, and Sharona is asked to be a chaperone. FINISHED.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: Monk belongs to the USA Network

Author's Note: This is my first stab at a romance, so feedback would be very much appreciated. I'll take all the advice and suggestions that I can get. Please read and enjoy.

Some minor changes: Changed the boys' names so that it wouldn't be so confusing, added a couple more minor details. Thanks for the reviews and suggestions.

Benjy was sitting at the lunch tables out in the schoolyard with his three friends, Steve, Matt, and Robby. The sun was shining and there was a light breeze hitting their smiling faces as they talked about the upcoming school dance while they ate their peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

"Are you guys going to ask anybody to go with you?" asked the red-headed, freckle-faced Steve, who's voice had already deepened.

"I don't know. Are we supposed to?" asked the innocent Benjy.

"Of course we are, it's a dance!" Matt said, with a somewhat nasally, obnoxious-sounding voice. "We can't dance by ourselves can we? We'd look pretty dorky during the slow songs." The group of twelve-year-old boys started laughing hysterically at the thought of seeing themselves slow dancing all alone.

"Well then, who are you going to ask, Matt?" said Robby, who was the tallest of the boys, and who had the deepest voice.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll ask Suzie Rowman," Matt said with a faint smile. The boys cracked up laughing.

"Are you kidding me?" Steve gasped. "She's the tallest girl in our class."

"Yeah, so what!" said Matt defiantly.

"No offense, Matt, but you're the shortest kid our class," said Benjy. "It's kinda hard to dance with someone so much taller than you."

"No it's not! Ballet dancers do it all the time!" Matt said.

"What?" the other three boys asked in unison, trying to stifle their giggles.

"Everyone knows that men ballet dancers are shorter than the woman. It makes for better dancing."

"If you say so, Mr. Swan Lake," Steve said while laughing. Matt threw a french-fry at Steve's head and hit him in between the eyes. The boys were rolling with laughter.

"Who are you going to ask, Steve?" Benjy asked when the laughter had died down.

"I think I'll ask Sandra Derby. What about you Benjy?"

"Uh…um…I don't know," Benjy said, looking down at the table, trying to hide his red face.

"I know who I'm going to ask," Robby exclaimed. "I'm going to ask Devonna Jenkins."

"Hey! All right Robby! She's hot!" said Steve.

"I know," Robby said with a huge smile and a far away look in his eyes. "Hey, come on Benjy, we told you, now you gotta tell us."

"Okay…I'm…going to ask…" Just then the end of lunch bell rang and Benjy jumped up and said, "Well, I gotta go." He ran into the school and to his next class, and he was never so happy to actually be sitting in Math class instead of talking to his friends.

* * *

Adrian Monk and Sharona Fleming were sitting in the kitchen of Sharona's house. Sharona was reading her pile of mail while Adrian was looking around the kitchen, seeing every little spec of dirt that covered the floor. Sharona had begged him to just sit still for five minutes and not touch anything while she read her mail. It was taking every ounce of will power that Adrian had to not jump up and start mopping the floor. He couldn't hold out much longer.

"Um…Sharona?" Adrian asked.

Sharona looked up from the letter she was reading and said, "What?"

"How…" Adrian swallowed, trying to hide his nervousness, "How much longer are you going to be reading?"

"Well, I don't know. I have a lot of mail."

"Could you hurry it up then?" Monk saw the look on her face and decided to add, "Please?"

Sharona was sitting across the table from Monk with her mouth hanging open and her eyebrows furrowed in anger. "What is your problem?"

"The floor!" Monk squeaked. "The floor is my problem! Don't you ever clean it?"

"Adrian! I cleaned it last week!"

"Last week? Last week?!!! I…I need a mop. Where did you put the mop?"

Sharona sighed and said, "In the closet, right there."

Monk jumped up from the table and rushed over to the closet, pulling out the mop and floor cleaner. When he accidentally hit Sharona's feet while mopping, she got annoyed and took the mail with her to her room and slammed the door. Monk jumped at the sound, and knew that he was in trouble. He decided to keep mopping and to let her cool off before he tries to talk to her again. Every little thing that he did had been bothering her lately. Maybe she was just stressed out.

In Sharona's room, Sharona had opened a letter from Benjy's middle school:

Dear Ms. Fleming,

We are writing to inform you that your seventh grader has been invited to the seventh grade dance. The dance will be held on Friday, September the 10th, from 7:30pm to 10:00pm. We are looking for chaperones and would appreciate it if you would do the honor. You are welcome to bring a guest, and you would be chaperoning with three other parents/teachers and their guests. Please get back to us as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time,

Principal Alfred D. Goober

555-4123

"Hmm. Benjy didn't tell me about any dance. Maybe I _should_ chaperone." Sharona called the school and told them that she'd be happy to chaperone. Then she hung up the phone, got off of her bed and walked out of her room to the kitchen, where Adrian was still mopping away. "Adrian, can I have next Friday night off?"

Monk froze in place. "Why?" he asked, hoping it wasn't a date.

"Benjy's going to his first dance and I was asked to be a chaperone," Sharona said, smiling.

Monk looked up at Sharona, still holding his breath, and said, "Oh. You're chaperoning alone?"

"No, there'll be other parents there."

"Oh." That wasn't what Monk was asking, but he didn't know how to make her elaborate on it without sounding too intrusive into her private life. "So, who's Benjy going with?"

"I don't know. He didn't even tell me about the dance. I just got this letter."

Monk nodded his head and continued mopping. "How do you know that he's going to go?"

"Because if my son is anything like me, then he wouldn't miss such a big chance to have fun."

Monk smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer:Monk belongs to the USA Network

Author's Note: This is my first stab at a romance, so feedback would be very much appreciated. I'll take all the advice and suggestions that I can get. Thank you for the wonderful reviews and helpful suggestions that you all gave me for the first chapter. This chapter might seem Disher/Sharona shippy, but the overall story is a Monk/Sharona romance.

Monk and Sharona got into their Volvo Station wagon and headed to the crime scene that the Captain had asked them to check out. They ended up at a beat up, gray apartment building, covered with graffiti. There were odd-shaped words that Monk couldn't read, and all sorts of creepy looking dragons and skulls. Monk twitched by bringing his head and shoulder to each other, longing for a wipe to get rid of the chaos of mixed colors and unevenness.

When they got out of the car Monk walked straight up to the wall by the door to the building and said, "Wipe, Sharona, I need a wipe." Sharona just stood next to him, looking at him like he was crazy. Monk started snapping his fingers at Sharona, still looking at the damaged wall.

"Adrian, what are you gonna do? Clean the whole wall with a wipe?"

"No…I was planning on using more than one wipe," Monk said, examining the wall more closely.

"Come on, forget about the wall! There was a murder inside. The Captain needs us. You can't spend all day cleaning the wall!"

Monk looked at Sharona with a disgruntled face, and through gritted teeth said, "Sharona, would you just give me a wipe? I'm not going to take all day! Besides, how am I supposed to solve a murder when there is rubbish all over the walls?"

Sharona looked up towards the sky and sighed. Defeated, she pulled out a packet of wipes and threw them at him. "Here! You stay here and clean the wall, I'm going to go solve a murder."

"Okay, you do that," Monk said distractedly as he pulled out a wipe and frantically started scrubbing the wall.

Sharona stalked up the steps and into the building, and searched for a stairway. She went up to the third floor and entered apartment 3G, ducking under the police tape as she stepped through the doorway. She saw a middle-aged woman wearing a blue nightgown lying dead on the floor. She found the Captain a few feet from the body, with Randy Disher by his side. She felt herself smile at the sight of Disher, and couldn't figure out why. He could be the biggest idiot in the world, and yet he somehow captured her interest. She knew that he had a crush on her, and she always just seemed to ignore the fact. She had never thought about him that way, but when he had talked about Crystal the Wallet Model, she had gotten a little jealous. She found herself imagining that she was Crystal, even though she knew that Crystal was fake. Maybe she should a—

"Sharona!" screamed the Captain, interrupting her thoughts. "Sharona, where's Monk?"

"Oh, uh," Sharona stammered, afraid that everyone had been reading her thoughts. "He's downstairs…cleaning the graffiti off the wall…with hand wipes."

"What!" the Captain yelled. "He's gonna take all day!"

Sharona sighed, rolled her eyes, and said, "That's what I told him. He wouldn't budge, so I had to give him the wipes. He'll stop eventually."

"I don't have time for 'eventually'. I'll go get him, you stay here," said the Captain. He traipsed out the door and left Sharona alone with Randy…and about twenty other cops.

"So, how's Crystal, the _wallet model_," Sharona asked sarcastically.

"She's great! Thanks for asking," Disher said equally sarcastically.

"Oh, so you two are still an item?" she asked, smiling.

"Well, for your information, we decided to break up. We didn't have time for each other, our work always got in the way, but we're still friends."

"Right," Sharona said, trying not to laugh. "So does that mean that you're free on Friday night?"

Disher looked at her with complete surprise on his face and said, "What?"

Okay, here she goes, it's now or never. "Are you free on Friday night, from 7:30 to 10:00? Benjy's going to his first school dance, and I was invited to be a chaperone. I need a date."

Disher exhaled and said, "S-sure. I'd love to be your date—I mean, uh, sure no big deal."

Sharona smiled and said, "Meet me and Benjy at my house by 7:00pm."

The Captain burst through the doorway, dragging Monk along with him. He looked at Disher and said, "What are you smiling about?"

"Me? I'm not smiling."

The Captain eyed him suspiciously and said, "Whatever. Let's just get on with the case. What do you think Monk?"

"I think that Disher was smiling."

"Not about that Monk! About the case!"

"Oh, right," Monk said with a small smile. He had noticed a strange look on Sharona's face too, but the dead woman on the floor took his attention away from her.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer:Monk belongs to the USA Network

Author's Note: Once again, thank you for all the helpful reviews. I truly appreciate every bit of feedback that I get.

Benjy jumped off the bus and ran up to the door of his house. When he entered, he could hear his mother and Mr. Monk talking in the kitchen about a case that they had been working on for the past couple days. He went into the kitchen to kiss his mother hello, and saw that Mr. Monk was deep in thought while he was washing the counter top. He was always cleaning. Sharona always told Benjy that cleaning helps Mr. Monk think, so he must think a lot. If he thinks a lot, then he must know about loads of things. Maybe Mr. Monk could help Benjy with his little dilemma, because he certainly didn't want to talk to his mother about it.

"Hey, Mom, can I talk to Mr. Monk for a second?" asked Benjy.

"Oh, well, sure honey, go right ahead."

"I meant, can I talk to him alone…it's guy stuff."

Monk looked over at Sharona and Benjy with a look of horror on his face and said, "Guy…_stuff_?"

"Yeah," Benjy said.

Sharona had huge smile on her face and said, "This wouldn't have anything to do with your dance would it?"

"Mom! Guy stuff, remember?"

"Oh, my little man is growing up so fast," Sharona said as she pinched Benjy's cheek.

"Mom! Please!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going. I have to take a bath anyway." She kissed Benjy's forehead and walked over to Monk. Smiling at the terror on Monk's face she said, "You two have a nice talk." She walked out of the kitchen, and pretended to go to her room, but when she was sure they couldn't see her, she crept over to the wall by the kitchen and listened to their conversation.

Monk decided to sit down at the table across from Benjy, and was searching for something to say. Benjy just kept staring at him. He was sure Benjy could see how nervous he was. Monk always wondered what it would be like to be a father, and here was his chance to see. Lucky him. "So…Benjy…what did you want to talk about?"

"It's about the dance."

"Yeah?"

"Well…you see…there's this girl that I want to ask to go with me, but every time I see her, I run the other way. My hands get all sweaty, and my friends laugh at me. I'm the only one who hasn't asked anybody yet! I'm a major wuss."

Monk let out a breathy chuckle. "Benjy, sometimes you just have to go for it. …I remember the first time that I asked Trudy to go on a date with me. I was so nervous that I was almost hyperventilating." Tears were gathering in Monk's eyes and he was smiling while he talked. "I had seen her in the park a couple of times, she was always writing. Writing poems in her journal. One day, I mustered up the courage to sit next to her. She looked over at me and smiled. She had this beautiful light in her eyes, and the sun was shining down on her blond hair, creating a sort of glow around her. She was wearing a pink dress, and a light blue sweater, because there was a slight breeze that day. She introduced herself and held out her hand. I took it… and I was so mesmerized by her blue eyes, that I forgot my own name!" Monk said with a laugh. "I just sat there, holding onto her hand, staring at her with my mouth hanging open. She was so beautiful. I finally remembered my name and we started talking. She mentioned that she liked Willie Nelson, and I remembered some guys at the station saying that he was in town for a concert. So I asked her if she would go with me. We didn't even realize that we had been holding hands through the whole conversation until we looked down. I didn't want to let go. If I hadn't have taken that chance… I would have missed out on the love of my life." Monk wiped his eyes and said, "Just go for it Benjy."

Behind the wall, Sharona had heard every word of Monk's story. She couldn't keep the tears from spilling out of her eyes. Trudy was loved so much. She wished she could have a love like that, but the only man she knew who could love so completely like that was Adrian. Sharona wiped her tears away and tiptoed to her room to take the bath that she had said she was going to take.

"But, Mr. Monk, what if she says 'no'?"

"Then, you ask somebody else. But you'll never know until you ask her."

"Thanks, Mr. Monk. One more question."

"Really?" he asked, worried he wouldn't be able to answer it.

"Yeah. If she does say 'yes', and we go to the dance, what do I do if we run out of things to talk about, and there's just this big awkward silence hanging in the air?"

"Um…maybe you could have a buffer?"

"A buffer?" Benjy asked, totally stumped.

"Yeah, you know, someone who—who can get you back on track…steer you the right way…give you something to talk about?"

Benjy's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Hey, that's a great idea! You could be my buffer, Mr. Monk!"

"What? Oh, Benjy, no, no. I didn't mean me. I meant someone… who isn't _me_."

"Aw, come on, Mr. Monk! You could be a chaperone like my mom!"

"Hey, why don't you make your mom your buffer?"

"Cause she'll be busy dancing with Mr. Disher. It's their first date," Benjy said as he rolled his eyes.

"What?" Monk felt like his heart stopped beating.

"Her date is Randy Disher. He's meeting us here the night of the dance."

"You know what Benjy? I think I'll take you up on that offer to be a chaperone."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer:Monk belongs to the USA Network

Author's Note: Thank you for all the helpful reviews. I truly appreciate every bit of feedback that I get. I must say that I am deeply depressed about the departure of the Sharona character from Monk. I wasn't sure if I'd continue with this story, but then I watched some old Monk episodes and decided to keep writing. If Benjy and Sharona can't live on in the show, they must live on in fanfiction. I hope that the new mother and daughter characters will be just as good as Sharona and Benjy, but I'll never forget the wonderful chemistry between Monk and Sharona, and the beautiful family that Monk, Sharona, and Benjy were.

Benjy was in his bedroom getting ready for the big dance. He was standing in front of the mirror in his suit pants and white button down shirt, trying to figure out how to tie a necktie. He was trying all sorts of combinations, but nothing looked right. He kept taking it off and trying again. His mind drifted to the memory of when he had asked Danielle to go to the dance with him.

Benjy was at his locker, gathering his books for the next few classes, when he glimpsed Danielle by the water fountain, all alone. He figured if he ever had a chance to ask her, now would be the time since her friends weren't around to giggle at him. He threw his books back into his locker, shut the door, and took a deep breath. "Okay, Benjy, you can do this," he said to himself, staring at the locker door, afraid that he'd loose his courage if he peeked at Danielle. "Remember what Mr. Monk said. Just go for it." Benjy took another deep breath before he looked up and saw Danielle standing by his side, leaning against the neighboring locker and holding her books to her chest.

She looked at Benjy with immaculate brown eyes and said, "Hi Benjy. Who were you talking to?"

Benjy stood there, his mouth hanging open in utter surprise. Fumbling for words he said, "Wha—I—I was just—I—Sorry, what?"

Danielle giggled and said, "Never mind. So Benjy, have you asked anyone to the dance yet?"

"I—no, I haven't. Have you? I mean…has anyone asked you yet?"

"A couple boys did, but I told them 'no'. I'm waiting for the right boy to ask me."

"Oh…really?" Benjy asked, afraid that she might say no to him too.

"Yeah, but he hasn't asked me yet. I've been waiting for days for him to come around."

"Oh…" Benjy started backing away from her and said, "Well, I better be getting to my next class then."

"Wait!" Danielle grabbed his arm and said, "Benjy! You're the boy I was talking about!"

"I am?" Benjy said with amazement.

"Yes. Now will you just ask me already?"

Benjy chuckled and said, "Sure! Danielle… will you go to the dance with me on Friday night?"

Danielle gave Benjy an elegant smile and said, "I thought you'd never ask."

Benjy was brought back to the present by his mother screaming, "Benjy! Benjy, where are you?"

He looked towards his door and shouted, "I'm in my room! I can't get my tie right!"

Sharona opened Benjy's door, and when she saw him she put her hand to her heart, smiled, and said, "Ohhh, you look so cute!"

"Mom, please don't say that when other people are around."

"What if I can't help it? What if I'm so proud of you that I can't keep my mouth shut, huh?"

Benjy smiled at his mom and rolled his eyes, still playing with his tie.

"Come here, I'll help you," Sharona said, holding out her arms. Benjy walked over, and Sharona grabbed the tie, telling him all the steps to tying a tie as she did it. "There," she said when she finished. She turned him around to look at himself in the mirror. Benjy smiled, and Sharona wrapped her arms around him, resting her head next to his, still looking in the mirror. "I love you, kid."

"I love you too, Mom," Benjy said with a big smile.

Their hug was broken by the sound of the doorbell. "That must be Randy," Sharona said with an excited smile and raise of her eyebrows. She ran to the door, but when she opened it, the smile disappeared from her face. "Adrian, what are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too," Monk said with a smile as he dodged around her to get into the house.

Sharona stood with her mouth open, staring at the empty space where Adrian had been standing. She shut the door, turned around, and found Monk sitting on the couch in the family room. "Adrian, _what_ are you doing here? I have tonight off, remember?"

Monk looked up at her, taking in the vision that he saw before him. Sharona had her hair down, flowing blond curls all over the place. She was wearing a black, strapless dress that only reached halfway down her thighs, black pantyhose, and black high-heeled shoes with very thin straps. Monk swallowed, looked away, and gave his head a shake. How was he supposed to think clearly with her dressed like that?

"I—I know you have tonight off. You're going to Benjy's dance…and so am I." Monk felt underdressed for the occasion after seeing Sharona. All he was wearing was a gray suit and a white shirt with grid lines on it. Just plain old everyday attire.

"What?!"

"I said I'm going--"

"I heard what you said! What do you mean you're going too?" Sharona paused, waiting for his answer, and then a thought came to her. She backed away and said, "Oh…Adrian, you didn't think…that I…that you…"

"What?" Adrian said, baffled as to what she was trying to say.

"You didn't think that I was going with _you_…did you?"

"What?" Adrian laughed. "That's ridiculous! Why would I think that?"

Embarrassed, Sharona said, "Well, I don't know…why are you coming then?"

"Benjy asked me to be a chaperone."

Sharona started laughing hysterically and said, "You?! A chaperone at a middle school dance?"

Adrian smiled, looked around, and said, "What—What's so funny? Why are you laughing?"

Still giggling Sharona said, "Be—hahahaha—because they're gonna eat you alive."

Monk made a sour face, stared at Sharona's laughing figure, and said, "I—I fail to see the humor in that, Sharona."

She started to laugh even harder.

Monk just rolled his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer:Monk belongs to the USA Network

Author's Note: Thank you for all the helpful reviews. I truly appreciate every bit of feedback that I get. I added a line to the last chapter, because it was pointed out to me that I described what Sharona was wearing, but not Monk. Here's what I added (so you don't have to go back through the last chapter): "Monk felt underdressed for the occasion after seeing Sharona. All he was wearing was a gray suit and a white shirt with grid lines on it. Just plain old everyday attire." Thanks for pointing that out to me, Mindy!

Randy Disher pulled into Sharona's driveway in his black 1999 Pontiac Firebird. He turned the engine off, stared out the windshield, and took a deep breath. "You can do this," he told himself. "Just walk up, and knock on the door. No big deal." Randy closed his eyes and took another deep breath before he grabbed the bouquet of daisies sitting next to him, opened the car door, and stepped out. He shut the door and took one last look at himself in the driver's side mirror. He fixed his hair, gave a toothy grin, and said, "Go get 'em stud," while he winked at his reflection. Very slowly he walked up the steps to the front porch. He could hear Sharona's hearty laughter just beyond the door, and this made him smile. He extended his fist to the door and knocked three times. The laughing stopped abruptly. 

"Oh my god, he's here!" Sharona said excitedly. She started towards the door, but Monk jumped up in front of her and halted her steps by putting up his hand and shaking his head.

"No, wait, Sharona."

"Wait for what?" she asked, staring into his brown eyes.

What Monk wanted to say was, "Don't go with him. You belong by my side, not his," but what came out was, "He…he only knocked three times."

"Yeah, so?" Sharona asked, getting more annoyed by the minute.

"Three is an uneven number…he needs to knock again."

"Well, I'm not going to stand here waiting for him to knock again, Adrian! Now move!"

"No!" Monk said, moving to block her from going into the hallway. With all her maneuvering around Monk, the heel on her right shoe got caught in a groove in the carpet and she tripped. "Sharona!" Monk yelled as he reached out to catch her. She fell into his arms, her head landing on his chest. He could feel his heart start to beat faster. She was so close. He was actually touching her white, silky skin. He could feel her golden curls teasing his cheek. Her glorious scent was euphoria to his nose. The warmth of her body…she's so soft. Germs…she's full of them, but at that moment he didn't care.

It was an accidental embrace, but they both held onto each other a little longer than was necessary. Adrian's heartbeat was soothing to Sharona's ear, and it felt nice to be held. She couldn't help but feel that Adrian was actually enjoying having her body so close to his. No, that's ridiculous. He's just making sure she has her balance back. Adrian doesn't enjoy having anyone close to him…except Trudy.

The door creaked open and Randy said, "Hello? Sharona?" He had caught a glimpse of Monk holding Sharona, and he felt a sharp pang of jealousy. They awkwardly broke away from each other at the sound of his voice. "Hey guys, what's going on?" Randy asked with a suspicious look on his face.

"Nothing!" said Monk and Sharona in unison.

"Right," Randy said, not completely convinced. He was hurt…and shocked.

Sharona moved a little closer to Randy, and seeing the hurt on his face she said, "Randy, honestly. I tripped, and I fell on Adrian. You know he wouldn't voluntarily hug me."

She had a point. Monk never touches anybody. Besides, he's too hung up on Trudy to even think about other women. For the first time that night Randy noticed what Sharona was wearing. She was so beautiful…and sexy. He can't wait to gather her in his arms and dance the night away. "Well, we better get going or we'll make Benjy late. Oh! These are for you," he said, giving the bouquet to Sharona.

Sharona smiled. "Thank you, Randy, they're beautiful. By the way, you look great tonight," she said, admiring his black suit, blue shirt, and dark red tie.

"Thanks. So do you," he said, looking her up and down.

"I'll go get Benjy," Sharona said, giving Disher a flirtatious smile, and as she walked away she swung her hips from side to side more pronounced than usual. She knew Disher was watching her the whole way, and she could have sworn that she even caught Adrian's attention with her little walk. When she got to Benjy's room she said, "Come on, it's time to go."

"Okay," Benjy said as he leaped off his bed.

"And when were you planning on telling me that you invited Mr. Monk to come with us tonight, huh?"

Benjy answered with a nervous chuckle and bolted out the door.

Sharona smiled and shook her head. "Well, this should be interesting," she told herself as she turned out the light and left the room to go join the others.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer:Monk belongs to the USA Network

Author's Note: Thank you for all the helpful reviews. I truly appreciate every bit of feedback that I get.

Benjy walked into the school gymnasium with his date, Danielle, on his arm. She was wearing a sleek pink dress with spaghetti straps. Her hair was up in a French braid, with pink clips that matched her dress. Benjy had asked his mom, Mr. Monk, and Mr. Disher to stay behind a few paces so that it didn't look like he was with them. His mom had rolled her eyes, but she did as he asked, and he was so relieved. He didn't want to embarrass Danielle, and most of all he didn't want to look like a baby or a mama's boy.

The car ride to the school was really awkward. Benjy hadn't expected Mr. Disher to sit in the back with him and Danielle. Mr. Monk made a fuss about not wanting to sit in the back, it was too dirty or something. So Mr. Disher was forced to sit with Benjy, and when Danielle got in the car, Mr. Disher scooted over to the middle seat, so he was sitting in between Benjy and Danielle. Needless to say, Benjy was incredibly happy to be at the dance standing close to Danielle, instead of being squeezed next to Mr. Disher in the Volvo station wagon.

There were decorations all around the gym. Balloons, streamers, and banners were all over the place. The room was dark, except for some flashing, colored spotlights that were shining in various parts of the gym, moving from one spot to another. There was a DJ at the front of the gym playing the music and taking requests. The bleachers were scattered with boys who thought that they were too cool to dance, dateless girls who were hoping to be asked to dance by one of the boys who were too cool to dance, and the dateless boys who were more interested in playing Dungeons and Dragons than dancing with girls. There was a snack table at the wall opposite from the bleachers. It was covered with plates of extravagantly decorated sugar cookies, chocolate brownies, and cherry and lime jello. There was a bowl of red punch in the middle of the table. Benjy made a mental note to visit the snack table before the night was through.

He looked over at the dance floor and saw his buddies dancing. The song that was blaring out of the speakers was "It's my Life" by Jon Bon Jovi. Benjy turned to Danielle and screamed, "Do you want to dance?"

"Sure!" Danielle screamed. Benjy took her hand and led her to the dance floor. They looked at each other, and then started jumping up and down, twisting, and shaking their heads to the beat.

Sharona entered the gym on the arm of Randy, with Adrian following close behind. She let go of Randy and immediately started twisting and dancing to the music. "Oh my god! I love this song!" she said.

Randy stepped back and watched her dancing with amusement.

The song ended and the DJ came on the speakers and yelled, "All right, now, let's everybody get on the dance floor for 'Hey Ya!"

Sharona grabbed Randy's arm and dragged him onto the dance floor. Sharona put her arms up, moved her hips side to side, and sang along, "Haaaaay Yaaa, hey ya…"

Monk was holding his ears. The music was way too loud, if it could even be called music. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Everyone was sloppily dancing, and no one was matching their partner's moves. They were jumping all over the dance floor, and people were bumping into each other. He had to close his eyes. He let go of his ears and folded his arms. He let out a sigh. "Remember why you're here," he thought to himself. "It's for Benjy…and for Sharona." He opened his eyes again and searched for Benjy. He appeared to be having fun. He was laughing, and he and his friends had all huddled to the same part of the dance floor, so that they could all jump around together. "I guess he doesn't need me after all." Then he searched for Sharona and Disher. Disher had his arms wrapped around her, and they were dancing, pressed up against each other. Monk did his head-shoulder twitch and tried to turn his attention to something else. The snack table. He went over to the snack table and started moving the dishes around, and moving cookies from one plate to another in order to make them even.

"Okay guys, let's slow it down with 'I'm Already There' by Lonestar," announced the DJ.

"Thank God," Monk said aloud. He was getting an unbelievable headache from the fast music. Monk turned away from the snack table and saw that the couples on the dance floor had spread out and were now dancing like normal human beings. He looked at Benjy to make sure he was still okay, and saw that he had his arms around Danielle's waste, and she had her arms around his neck. They were both smiling and intently staring into each other's eyes. Monk's eyes started to water as he remembered dancing with Trudy. He'd get lost in her eyes, and they would keep dancing even after the music stopped. She'd throw her head back and laugh as he dipped her, and then she would lay her head on his shoulder when he brought her back up, and he would close his eyes. He was in heaven when he held her so close.

Sharona caught a glimpse of Adrian as Randy swung her around. He was all alone by the snack table, with a lost look on his face. Lost in memories. "Hey, Randy, how about we sit this next one out."

"Oh, okay, sure. Is something wrong?"

"No, I just need a rest," she said. When the song ended, they walked over to the bleachers and Randy sat down. Sharona let go of his hand and headed towards Adrian.

"Hey, wait. I thought you needed a rest," Randy shouted.

"I'll rest later, I gotta go talk to Adrian," Sharona shouted back over her shoulder. As she approached Adrian, he was still blankly staring in the general direction of Benjy. She touched his arm and said, "Adrian? Adrian, are you okay?"

He nodded without looking at her. His mind was still on Trudy, wishing she were with him, wishing he could hold her again.

They stood in silence for a moment, watching Benjy. Then, Sharona took a chance and grabbed Adrian's hand. He was startled, but he didn't pull away. He just looked down at their intertwined fingers. "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel was playing. Very slowly Sharona began to lead Adrian to the dance floor. He followed like a lost puppy. When she reached her destination she put his arm around her waist, held his other hand, and put her free hand on his shoulder. They started to sway to the music.

Monk had been staring at the floor the whole time, afraid to look up. But as she gently pulled towards him, he finally looked into her blue eyes. They were innocent, curious, and caring all at the same time. He could see her. She wasn't Sharona the nurse, or Sharona the assistant, or even Sharona the mother. She was Sharona, his life. He pulled her closer to him, their faces almost touching. They continued swaying, and then Monk dipped her, and she threw her head back and laughed. When he brought her back up, he stopped dancing. Still holding her close, he slowly leaned in and touched her lips with his. She responded instantly, and he could taste the remnants of Hawaiian punch on her lips. The kiss started slow and soft, but it was turning deeper and more passionate with each second. They broke apart, and he began to sway with her again. She laid her head on his shoulder, and he closed his eyes. He finally found heaven again.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer:Monk belongs to the USA Network

Author's Note: Thank you for all the helpful reviews. I truly appreciate every bit of feedback that I get.

The music had stopped, and Monk came to his senses. What was he doing? He had just kissed Sharona. He can't love Sharona, he loves Trudy! He pushed away from her with a panicked look on his face. "Sharona I…I'm sorry. I…"

Totally taken aback she said, "What? What's wrong?"

"I love Trudy, not…not you," he said, unable to look her in the eyes.

Sharona felt the tears gathering, getting ready to explode at any minute. She sniffled and said, "I know you love Trudy. What I don't know is why you kissed me."

Looking down at his feet, he replied, "I shouldn't have kissed you. I didn't mean to." He looked up at her, and then to the side and said, "I…I was…imagining you were Trudy." What was wrong with him? He wanted to enjoy the moment, but he couldn't let himself enjoy it. He wanted to tell Sharona how much she meant to him, but instead he pushed her away with a lie. Why does he do this?

Sharona sniffled again and wiped away the tears that had gotten loose. She couldn't believe what he was saying. He'd never imagined she was Trudy before, so why had he started then? This was ridiculous. She didn't know why she even thought that Adrian had feelings for her. She didn't even know that she had feelings for him until that kiss. She got to feel what it was like to be loved so completely in that one single moment. It broke her heart to know that it wasn't she who was being loved like that. She was so angry that Adrian could give her that gift, and then take it back just as suddenly as he gave it to her. She had never been that vulnerable before. She couldn't look at him. She tried, but it hurt too much. She just turned her back to him, and went to find Randy. Adrian didn't follow her, he didn't try to stop her, he just let her go.

Randy had stepped outside for some fresh air. He hadn't seen anything that had taken place in the gym between Monk and Sharona. He was looking up into the clear night sky, admiring the beautiful stars that were scattered all around. Sharona saw him and walked over to stand next to him. He glanced over at her and saw glistening tears on her magnificent face. "What happened?" he asked in a concerned tone.

Sharona wiped her face and whispered, "Adrian said something. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay, no problem. But if you need a shoulder to cry on, there's one right here," he said, holding out his arms to her.

Sharona smiled and wrapped her arms around him, smothering her face in his shoulder as she let out all the pain that she had been trying to contain.

* * *

Six months later…

Ever since that night at Benjy's dance, Monk felt like he had lost the Sharona that he had known so well. She no longer answered his early morning calls, or spent time with him that she didn't really have to. She didn't invite him to have dinner with her and Benjy anymore. He missed her. He saw her every day, but he still missed her. It was like she had shut off all personal feelings towards him. He was just another patient. He missed being her best friend, he missed talking to her, he even missed bickering with her.

Sharona burst through Adrian's door. She was so excited, and she wanted Adrian to be the first one to hear the good news. "Adrian! Adrian, I have something to tell you!"

Monk came out of the bathroom, wearing an apron and rubber gloves, and holding his spray bottle of Clorox bleach in one hand and a washcloth in the other. "What? What is it?" he asked, a little angry at being interrupted, but elated at the fact that he was catching this rare glimpse of the old Sharona.

Sharona held up her left hand, a diamond ring glaring on her ring finger. With a huge smile she said, "I'm getting married! Randy asked me to marry him!"

Monk was shocked. He stood with his mouth slightly open, eyes wide and intent on her ring, and his body completely frozen in place.

"Adrian? Did you hear me? I said I'm getting married."

Monk took his focus away from the ring and said in a raspy voice, "Yeah, I heard you. Con—congratulations." He attempted to smile, but didn't quite make it.

Sharona knew it was crazy, but a part of her had actually been hoping that Adrian would protest her getting married. She wanted him to acknowledge that he really did have feelings for her, but apparently that was hoping for too much. "Is…is that all you have to say?"

Monk swallowed, and stared into Sharona's eyes. "Well, what do you want me to say?" He waited a moment and then very sarcastically said, "Oh, Sharona, I'm so happy for you! I hope you two live a happy and wonderful life together and have plenty of happy and wonderful children!"

She felt those nasty tears again. They always escaped her at the worst possible times. "That's not what I wanted you to say!" she exclaimed in a shaky voice. "I want you to tell me how you feel."

He felt empty. He felt like his whole world was being taken away from him again. He felt like he was going to lose her forever. But he couldn't bring himself to say all that. He just turned away from her and quietly said, "Congratulations."

"Don't you feel anything?" Sharona asked. He didn't answer, he didn't even acknowledge that she was still in the room. "Fine. I guess I'll see you around. I gotta go, Randy's waiting." She walked to the door and put her hand on the knob, she turned her head and took one last look at Adrian. He still had his back to her. "Goodbye, Adrian." She waited for an answer, but didn't receive one. She sighed, opened the door and walked out.

When Monk heard his door shut, he turned around. The tears welled up in his eyes, and he whispered, "Goodbye, Sharona."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer:Monk belongs to the USA Network

Author's Note: Thank you for all the helpful reviews. I truly appreciate every bit of feedback that I get.

It was the big day. Sharona was sitting in the bride's room in front of the mirror, admiring her dress and getting ready to put the veil on. She had finally convinced herself that she was doing the right thing. Benjy needed a father, and she needed a man who cared about her, and Randy definitely cared about her. Her stomach had been rumbling with butterflies all morning. Was she really doing the right thing? Of course she was. She put her veil on and stared at her reflection, deep in thought.

* * *

Monk was sitting in the chair opposite Dr. Kroger. He was slightly slumped over, staring down at his folded hands. All he could think about was Sharona.

They were both silent for about ten minutes before Dr. Kroger spoke. "So, Adrian, how are you?"

Monk looked up and with a despondent face said, "I'm miserable."

"Is this because of Sharona?"

"Of course it is."

"What's wrong, Adrian?"

Monk's eyes filled with tears as he said, "I lost her. Just like I lost Trudy."

"Adrian, how do you feel about Sharona?"

"I…" Monk started twisting his hands nervously. "I love her," he said with a tiny laugh, "I love Sharona."

"So why don't you tell her before it's too late?"

"I can't. It's already too late. She's getting married today," he said gloomily, and looked back down at his hands.

"What time does the ceremony start?"

"Two o'clock," he whispered.

Dr. Kroger pulled up his sleeve and glanced at his watch. "You still have an hour. Go to her, Adrian, there's still time."

Monk slowly looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks, Dr. Kroger." He jumped up from his chair and headed straight for the door.

* * *

Monk's taxi pulled up to a small, white wedding chapel with a navy blue roof and a cross above the green front door. He scuttled out of the taxi, paid the driver, and ran into the building. Men in tuxedos and women in blue gowns were all crowded into the small lobby of the chapel. Monk had to push past them, trying not to come in contact with any of them. He bumped into Gail Fleming.

"Ow! Watch it buddy!" she screamed, and then she took a closer look at who she was talking to. "Monk? What are you doing here?"

"Uh…I'm—I'm looking for Sharona. Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's in the bride's private quarters. Go down that hall and take a right, it's the very last room."

"Okay, thank you, Gail."

"Yeah, sure," she said, wondering what was so urgent that Monk would venture into a crowd of people and risk being touched. She watched him zoom off into the empty hallway and shrugged her shoulders. She turned back to the group that she had been talking to before Monk interrupted her and forgot all about him.

Monk approached the bride's door and knocked twice. He heard Sharona say, "Come in," and he took a deep breath. This was his chance. It was time to tell her. He slowly opened the door, hearing it creak as he moved it. He stepped into the room, and Sharona took her veil off and turned towards him. He swallowed away his nervousness and walked over to her.

"Adrian, what are you doing here?" she asked, shocked at his sudden appearance. Just when she had finally begun to forget about him, there he was. He had the worst timing in the world.

"Sharona, I—I have something to tell you."

"Can't it wait till after the ceremony?"

"No…no it can't. I've already waited too long to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

He looked into her iridescent blue eyes and said, "I love you, Sharona. I've always loved you…I was just too lost to realize it."

"What?!" she asked, not believing her ears.

"I said I love you, Sharona." He smiled. "I love you." He waited for a response, but she was too frozen with shock. He reached for her hand and said, "I lost Trudy…I can't lose you too. I won't lose you. Please, don't marry Randy. He can't love you the way that I can."

"Adrian, I…I don't know what to say. I mean, I'm supposed to be getting married in five minutes and you're telling me this now?"

Monk shrugged and said, "Better I tell you now than after you're married."

"Adrian, I'm sorry, but I just can't--"

"Sharona, I—I don't have a life if you're not in it."

"Adrian…I'm getting married to Randy."

"Do you love him?" he asked, afraid of what her answer might be.

Sharona looked away from him and said, "Yes."

"Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me that you love him and not me?"

The tears started rolling down Sharona's cheeks. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. It didn't make sense. Her and Randy were so right for each other, and yet whenever she heard the word "love" Adrian would pop into her head. Whenever she pictured the rest of her life, Adrian would be right there beside her. When she pictured herself getting married, it was always Adrian who was lifting the veil. She finally looked up into Adrian's brown eyes and said, "No…I can't."

Monk let out a breath. He couldn't keep a smile from forming on his face, no matter how hard he tried. "Does…does this mean that you love me?"

"Yes…it does," she said with a smile.

Monk pulled Sharona close to him, wrapped his arms around her, and planted a sweet, passionate kiss on her rose colored lips.

* * *

Five years later…

"Adrian! Adrian, stop it. Leave it alone, the TV's fine," Sharona said.

A little boy with dark curly hair and brown eyes turned to look at his mother. He was wearing a gray suit and a white shirt with gridlines on it, buttoned all the way to the top, with no tie. Still holding a wipe to the TV screen he said, "But Mom, it's dirty. Don't worry, you'll thank me later." He turned back to the TV and continued cleaning it.

Sitting on the family room couch with his arm around Sharona, Monk said, "The boy knows what he's doing Sharona, just let him be."

"Yeah, Mom, just let him finish," said a deep-voiced Benjy.

Sharona glared at Monk and let out a sigh of defeat.

Finally, little Adrian stepped back from the TV and said, "There."

Sharona rolled her eyes, turned to Monk, and said, "He's definitely your son."

A/N: Thanks to all the readers who stuck with this story, and thanks to everyone who took the time to review. I was a bit nervous about writing a romance, but you all made it a worthwhile experience. I loved each and every comment that I got, and I can't wait to hear what you thought about the ending. Thanks for reading.


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